BATHURST Base Hospital has an additional 43 operating parking lots, and there will be another 31 to come in the next month. Bathurst MP Paul Toole&nbsp;officially opened the Bathurst Hospital car park extension on Friday, two months ahead of schedule. Work on the $800,000 project started in June and was completed by&nbsp;Hines Constructions. The NSW Government-funded initiative&nbsp;resulted in 74 new car park spaces being created along the Durham Street side of the hospital, taking the&nbsp;total number of parking spaces across the Bathurst Hospital precinct from 283 to 357. READ MORE:&nbsp;Bathurst MP&nbsp;Paul Toole turns first sod on hospital car parking project READ MORE:&nbsp;Bathurst Base Hospital to get 62 new car parking spaces in $1.2 million project READ MORE:&nbsp;Bathurst Hospital's car park expansion program running to schedule “This is a much needed addition to Bathurst’s growing health facilities and I am pleased to see the project come to fruition,” Mr Toole&nbsp;said. “There are still some minor works to be completed, but vehicles are now being allowed access to the newly created car parking area with 43 spaces currently available. “When the fencing comes down in coming weeks there will be another 31 spaces opened. The original plan did account for 77 new spaces, but there was a small reduction in this number during the course of construction to create sufficient entry and exit space.” Mr Toole said that Bathurst’s population has grown since the new hospital in the city was built and opened in 2008 and more people than ever before are now being treated at the local health facility. Chief Executive of the Western NSW Local Health District, Scott McLachlan said enhancements to Bathurst Hospital over the last few years means more people have been accessing services on site. “Bathurst Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in western NSW and a major rural health hub. It is a busy hospital, performing complex work on a large number of people from this community, and from other surrounding communities as well,” he said. “Enhancements in a range of services means we are treating more people than we ever have at Bathurst Hospital. The additional car spaces the Government will build at the rear of the hospital will greatly assist people who access these services.” “We want to provide a high quality health service&nbsp; and accessing car parking facilities here as easily as possible is a part of this.”&nbsp;

Work on the $800,000 project started in June and was completed by Hines Constructions.

The NSW Government-funded initiative resulted in 74 new car park spaces being created along the Durham Street side of the hospital, taking the total number of parking spaces across the Bathurst Hospital precinct from 283 to 357.

“This is a much needed addition to Bathurst’s growing health facilities and I am pleased to see the project come to fruition,” Mr Toole said.

“There are still some minor works to be completed, but vehicles are now being allowed access to the newly created car parking area with 43 spaces currently available.

“When the fencing comes down in coming weeks there will be another 31 spaces opened. The original plan did account for 77 new spaces, but there was a small reduction in this number during the course of construction to create sufficient entry and exit space.”

Mr Toole said that Bathurst’s population has grown since the new hospital in the city was built and opened in 2008 and more people than ever before are now being treated at the local health facility. Chief Executive of the Western NSW Local Health District, Scott McLachlan said enhancements to Bathurst Hospital over the last few years means more people have been accessing services on site.

“Bathurst Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in western NSW and a major rural health hub. It is a busy hospital, performing complex work on a large number of people from this community, and from other surrounding communities as well,” he said.

“Enhancements in a range of services means we are treating more people than we ever have at Bathurst Hospital. The additional car spaces the Government will build at the rear of the hospital will greatly assist people who access these services.”

“We want to provide a high quality health service and accessing car parking facilities here as easily as possible is a part of this.”